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This Sunday, the author will be at Toronto's Dorah Keough pub to launch her book. Click here for more information.
The following is excerpted from the chapter
"A Good, Wide Wonderful Business"
Mona was proud of her broadcast career, yet her reminiscences of that era focused on the people she met, rather than her own remarkable achieve-ment in being in a position to interview them in the first place. The reason, I think, was her refusal to ally herself with feminism. She could never really acknowledge that she was exceptional, because to do so meant acknowledging the position of women in society at large. But even though she never spoke in these terms, her sense of triumph in the fifties must have come – at least partially – from knowing she was thriving in a man’s world, and that she was one of a very few who did. To make matters still more complex, she went through the decade representing herself as an ordinary woman, just as she had for her whole career.
Maintaining this position required a subtle dance on Mona’s part, and looking at the scripts of Be My Guest allowed me to trace her steps. She may not have overtly questioned the position of women in society but she always assumed women were smart, and needed culture and stimulating discussion in their lives. An ad for the show encouraged a plucky attitude in Mona’s listeners, if not an outright rebellion against their housewifely roles. Time listening to Mona was time for themselves. The ad showed a hand of cards fanned out as if for a bridge game, the front one bearing Mona’s face. “It’s Mona’s Deal,” the slogan read. The ad went on to say, “Here’s bright, new radio entertainment for modern homemakers from Mona Gould. It’s just good listening – absolutely no household hints! So throw down your mop, forget the dishes and visit with Mona’s famous guests. You’ll hear poetry, theatre news, occasional book reviews, plus other exciting goings-on about town. Yes, for 25 minutes everymorning at 11:05 ‘cept Saturdays, radio is yours – when Mona tells about the fascinating world beyond your kitchen sink. If you like to live, you’ll love Mona, now on CKFH’s Radio for Grownups.”
To learn more about Outside the Box, or to order online, click here.
To arrange an interview with the authors, contact MQUP Publicist Jacqui Davis.
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